Japan Takes World Mixed Gold In Baku

For the second year in a row, Japan would capture the World Mixed Team Title, as they would take the final from France in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Japanese contingent would take the match 4-1, lead by Hisayoshi Harasawa, who would be able to attain a 1-0 victory over Cyrille Maret in six minutes following a mis-judged move by the French judoka.

World champion Tsukasa Yoshida would give Japan a 2-0 lead when she would find her way past aggressive Priscilla Gneto with an oguruma. All would potentially be lost for France, as Arata Tatsukawa, winner of the 2017 Grand Slam in Tokyo would get past Guillaume Chaine, following two penalties in four minutes of competition.

Silver medalist Marie Eve Gahie and bronze medalist Yoko Ono would be a stark difference from the prior three encounters, as Gahie would find a way to put the pressure on Ono and make it 3-1.

The clinch would be Shoichiro Mukai getting a win back from former opponent Axel Clerget, who would fall to a ko-soto-gake, to shut the door on the French 4-1.

While France would take the silver, the Russian team and a combined North and South Korea team would take the bronze, with Russia defeating host nation Azerbaijan 4-1, and Korea defeating Germany in a clean 4-0 sweep.